


An Unexpected Test

by diariesofastoriagreengrass



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bisexual Character, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Post-Hogwarts, Pre-Relationship, Redeemed Draco Malfoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 03:26:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18402149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diariesofastoriagreengrass/pseuds/diariesofastoriagreengrass
Summary: He wondered if there was a reason that she pointed that out, but he shook that thought away. There was no way she was interested in him.





	An Unexpected Test

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Jencala for being my beta! <3 <3
> 
> Characters and world belong to JKR I'm just playing in her sandbox... shhh don't tell her husband.

Draco grew bored with the party. It’s not that he didn’t love a good dinner party, and the Greengrass’s knew how to throw a dinner party, it was that he was sick of hearing all of the hateful comments. They were barely out of the war, shouldn’t they have learned by now? To be fair Draco’s community service sentence of working at St. Mungos had helped push him in the right direction. Having to help out with magic and muggle alike he was finally starting to see the error of his ways.

With the need to get away from the hatred that he used to relish in, he started to wander the manor. If he remembered correctly there was a library just around the corner. When he walked in he was surprised to find a lovely blond girl looking up at him from her love seat.

“Good evening Draco,” Astoria nodded to him.

“Good evening.” He replied trying not to sound awkward. Sometimes he forgot that Daphne and Astoria were sisters. Astoria had always been the black sheep of the Greengrass family and for many years of his life, he had merely ignored the girl. Which was fairly easy as she rarely stuck around the Slytherin common room, choosing to keep the company of some Ravenclaw girl instead.

He found that much harder to do these days as she had somehow, in the middle of a war, graduated Hogwarts early and was now working at the place he was serving his community service. He had watched this girl, two years younger than him, take her job at St. Mungo’s by storm. All of the patients loved her, with her motherly smile and smart wit, and Draco had to admit that while the girl was of a slightly heavier girth than her sister she still had looks that would make people stare. She was also one of the few people who would talk to him. At first, it wasn’t much, but it was nice to know that there was someone at St. Mungo’s who didn’t glare at him. Lately, she had spoken to him a bit more frequently and their conversations were actually quite pleasant. Small though they were he rather liked talking to her and he found himself looking around for her during his breaks.

“Bored of the party?” She asked smiling politely.

“In a manner of speaking.” He shrugged, “I didn’t see you there.”

“I only got back from my shift recently, and when I heard what my step-mother was saying about muggles I got a nasty taste in my mouth and decided to do some reading instead.” Astoria stated bluntly.

“I see,” Draco nodded.

Astoria gave a quick, small smile. “Feel free to borrow anything you like.” She gestured to the wall of books to her right then went back to her own book.

“Thank you.” He responded and walked over to see the selection.

There was silence. Draco hated silence; it brought back the screaming, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Have you always liked muggles?”

Astoria looked up at him, her eyes becoming a little guarded. He didn’t blame her, he was sure she got a lot of flack for being pro-muggle in a house like this.

“No,” she replied. “But it’s kind of hard to be dating a muggle-born if you are anti-muggle.”

Draco had completely forgotten that the reason she had stayed away from the Slytherin common room was that she had been dating a muggle-born, but now that he thought about it he remembered Pansy saying something about it.

“Yes of course. How is your boyfriend did he…” Draco trailed off afraid something might have happened to him during the war.

“ _She’s_ fine.” Astoria smirked, “She’s safe in Canada with her new girlfriend.”

“I’m sorry,” Draco sputtered, “I didn’t mean—”

She chuckled, “Don’t get your knickers in a twist it’s not like you knew that I’m bisexual.”

Draco took a small mental note that she had stated that she was bisexual and not just into girls. He wondered if there was a reason that she pointed that out, but he shook that thought away. There was no way she was interested in him.

“Find anything to your liking?” She asked.

He looked back at the bookshelves, “Honestly, I’m at loss. Any suggestions?”

“Would you prefer informative or more of a story?”

“A story would be nice.”

She bit her lip considering, “Alright,” Then she picked up her handbag that had been on the floor next to her and took out a small book. “Try this.”

Draco took the book from her our reached hand, “This looks like it’s from your personal collection.”

“I’ve seen you read before, you’re a fairly fast reader, if you don’t finish it by the time the party is over, I trust you will bring it back to me at work. Or you know, chance the consequences.” She smirked at him.

“Well, I wouldn’t want that.” He sat down in a nearby chair and looked at the book. _The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien_ , he read, an eyebrow quirked pensively. He didn’t know the author but opened it and started reading nonetheless. As he read the descriptions of the creatures it seemed very odd that it did not match what he knew to be true, then came the wizard Gandalf, who sounded very much like Dumbledore. Draco looked up about to ask about the author when it hit him; this was a muggle book.

“Yes?” Astoria asked, staring at him with a piercing glare. Another revelation came to Draco; she was testing him. Maybe she was interested, or at least wanted to see if Draco was worth her time. She had made it quite clear how she felt about people who were anti-muggle.

“I am intrigued to see how this goes.” He said to her, “Did you find it a rough transition to read it, considering the wizard I mean?”

“Gandalf?” She smiled. It seemed she didn’t mind people being inquisitive. “A little at first yes, but once you get into the story you kind of just accept it as facts of that universe.”

He smiled back, “I look forward to it.” Which he did. Draco might not have looked it but he loved getting lost in a book.

A few hours passed as they both read in silence. Draco found the story interesting but also found it a dreadfully boring read, but knowing that the book had come from Astoria’s personal library he was bound to at least finish the darn thing. Astoria had started her second book when he finished it. She looked up.

“So?”

“I really liked it.”

Astoria looked him over then smirked. “Liar.”

“No honestly, I really enjoyed the story.” He insisted.

“ _But…_ ” She egged him on with a small smile.

He sighed, “But by Merlin, did he really have to talk about food for five pages! I like a good banquet as much as the next person, but I couldn’t care less about how much cheese was on the table.”

Astoria broke out into a fit of giggles, “I mean you’re not wrong. He is very flowery with his writing.”

She held out her hand to take the book back. He handed it to her noting how beautiful her smile was when she laughed.

“Why did you finish reading it?” She asked as she put the book back in her handbag.

“What?”

“If you found it so boring why did you continue reading it?”

“Well, I—” Draco blushed, clearing his throat to stall and gather his courage. “I noticed that the cover was rather worn. A worn cover generally means well loved and if you like it then there must be something good about it.”

Astoria blushed, “Oh thank you.”

He smiled shyly at her.

“There you are, Draco.”

The pair looked up to see Daphne at the doorway. “Your mother is ready to leave now.”

Draco stood up, “Thank you,” he looked back at Astoria, “Thank you for the good story.”

“Next time I will try to find something more to your taste.” She said smiling.

Draco really hoped there would be a next time.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to send me some reviews or comments! Follow me on Tumblr at https://thediariesofastoriagreengrass.tumblr.com/


End file.
